A Philosophical Discussion Between Pondering Souls
by liebedero
Summary: Jack and Norrington have a philosophical discussion about the afterlife...IN the afterlife. NOT CRACK. Sort of Funny but mainly serious and sad. Written in Character. COMPLETE.


**So this is something that I wrote last year during spring break that I always thought worthy of typing up but never did. And here it is. It's a little philosophical discussion between the two must unlikely people in the PotC universe. **  
><strong>Some lines from the movies are 'quoted' histories of the characters taken from the Jack Sparrow Series (which is actually excellent) and his wife is named for Johnny's most Gorgeous Vanessa Paradis-Depp. I just had to. <strong>

**Props to whoever catches the Sweeney Todd reference. I couldn't resist mate!**

**InkSpellWeaver/liebedero**

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><p>A Philosophical Discussion Between Two Pondering Souls<p>

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><p>Captain Jack Sparrow could not say for certain, but he was most positive of one thing. He was…existing. Not, however, in the conventional sense, on earth in his very comfortable and homey body, despite his lack of personal hygiene. His soul had been stripped - painfully, he might add - away and out of his body by the sea goddess, Calypso, in the form of the Creole Mystic of the Bayous, Tia Dalma.<p>

Albeit, willingly. He had even asked it of her, this fate worse than death. Well, was it really? Perhaps 'twas technically the same as death? He wasn't sure, but made certain not to correlate this form of being as death. The very thought terrified him.

As he pondered in the place where he existed, Jack was suddenly aware of the presence of another who existed in that same place. And in some way, shape, form (he wasn't sure which) Jack recognized the other to be James Norrington.

"How do ye do mate?"

"Oh, alright, I suppose, for being dead. I see that you ended up here anyways, one or another," the former Commodore/Admiral replied heavily.

"Oh, I didn't die per say," Jack replied, trying to make certain he wasn't correlating his horrendous experience with death. "I _elected _to have an even worse end to my highly mortal and earthy existence. I opted to have dearest Tia Dalma tear my soul from me own flesh. What say you to that?"

"Oh, I see, Painful?"

"Very much so,"

"But why would you do that?" Norrington's question was valid, but Jack wasn't sure if he wanted to confront the answer just yet. This 'existence' was precious to him, and he would not let his enjoyment of it end.

"I wasn't aware of your most untimely death, Admiral, whatever happened to you? You may have asked your question first, but you did die before me…" Jack trailed off.

"I helped Elizabeth and her crew to escape the _Dutchman_, and died for my actions, yet here I am. In heaven. Quite a pleasant place to be, is it not?" his question went unanswered. "Your turn," he prodded after a moment.

"How's that blasted cousin of yours? Fitzwilliam P. Dalton III? Talk to him much? I never did figure out what the P stood for…"

In a voice that suggested he was highly taken aback, Norrington replied, "I have not the slightest idea of how you came to be acquainted with my elder cousin, but I do ask you to please answer the question instead of constantly changing the subject,"

"Your impatience sir, is unbecoming of a gentleman like yourself. _However_ I suppose that since you answered my question I's best play fair, is that so?" He paused dramatically, for even in non-terrestrial existence, Jack had a flair for the dramatic. "I traded my precious eternal soul into death so that…so that two innocents might live as they rightfully deserved,"

Jack answer was vague at best, but James could tell that the memories dredged up were painful. In life, he wouldn't have pressed the matter but…"Who were they? What did they mean to you, so much that you would rather be dead then let them lie in eternal rest?"

There was silence in the place that was where they were existing. The silence was loud, deafening. James could barely here the reply. "My wife…my child…she miscarried," immediately Norrington felt hot shame. But it did not linger, when Jack changed the subject.

"But how is it that I ended up in - of all blasted places to exist - heaven? By all your counts I should be burning in the eternal flames of Hell, should I not?" The question seemed rhetorical to James, but his educated mind could not help but formulate an answer.

"For the same reason that I ended up here. I helped set pirates free, yet for all their crimes, they were better people that the E.I.T.C.," Again came the silence, as both men pondered the other's thoughts.

"So what you be saying is that my soul was not damned because I was selfless in wanting them to live instead of me, or that the reason my dear Vanessa miscarried was because I set free an E.I.T.C. 'cargo' of slaves, got my ship torched and sunk for it after bloody blasted Cutler Beckett branded me a damn pirate personally?" The pirate Captain ranted mindlessly.

"I suppose that perhaps one good deed might be enough to redeem a man such as yourself of a lifetime of wickedness," the military man replied thoughtfully.

"'Stead of condemning him as you once suggested?" there was a hint of glee in Jack's tone. "I thought so!"

"So both our souls ended up intact in the end, despite all,"

"Somehow, me thinks. Whoever it is here that I likes us, I can't say that I blame 'im,"F to think that his immortal soul had been saved. His honest streak must have won out. But he was definatly not holding honesty as his best and first choice in policy. Lies and deceit had gotten him far enough. Maybe God - if that was truly who it was - had made a mistake.

Or maybe Jack was just a better man than he gave himself credit for being. Either way, he had an eternity to spend pondering over philosophical discussions and souls with other pondering souls. And wasn't it an eternity that he had wanted anyways?

"Well mate, I do miss me Pearl…and the sea…"

"But do you regret your decision? Giving your life for theirs?" asked James.

The man, Jack, was sullen, or rather, the spirit Jack. "No, I could never regret it," he replied after a time.

"Then what is it that you regret? Things that you might have done to throw the safety of you immortal soul into mortal danger?" Jack thought on it a moment.

"I rather believe that when one sins, ones soul is scarred, much like flesh. But the mortality of such scars has to depend upon ones knowledge or belief of their supposed sins, would it not? Although freeing the slaves as I did was wrong by society and the Company, seeing as the slaves were not mine to free, was said action not justified in the fact that they are still humans, and should be treated with the respect that dignified life so deserves? "

James Norrington had no choice but to concur upon the point. In retrospect, slavery was a load of tosh. He supposed that the newfound opinion came from his new residence in heaven. Contemplating, Norrington replied, "An interesting discourse we are having on immortality souls and morals, is it not, Mr. Sparrow?"

"Ever think we'd be discussing this in the afterlife before we both respectively left…respectively? Per say….?"

"Good Lord, no. All I was concerned with was you and a noose. Short drop, sudden stop, I used to say in the company of ladies. Ah, their sensitivities… Really, it would have been a relief to see the end to your annoying and obstinate, usually botched piratical feats, "he paused. "So what was it then?"

"Meaning….?" Jack questioned hopelessly lost.

"Well, was it madness or brilliance?"

"A bit of both perhaps… they do often coincide," Another pause. "Comm- er, Admiral…"

"James will do fine. To insist upon titles in Heaven is futile,"

"Are you trying to make a point?" Jack asked accusingly in reference to his routine 'Captain' comment.

"No," the response was quick. "You were saying?"

"…You recall ever being on your father's ship as a young child? The time he was going after captain Teague?"

"Yes, vaguely. Why?"

"Good Lord you was little then, what, 'bouts nine or ten I'd wager. Just a wee lad then," the pirate captain reminisced. "'Member falling overboard? I was there that day. And I thought you alls had a sense of right and proper. I 'twas appalled at your presence on board, such a yungun' you was," A slight chuckle escaped him. "You know that Teague an' I saved your life?"

"Karma to his immortal soul then Mr. Sparrow,"

"I appreciate that, he is me da', but it _Captain_ Sparrow. Thought you'd have got that by now," he teased jokingly. "Cheers, mate,"

"Indeed,"


End file.
